Earlier today I was in the Framingham, Wayland, Weston area. Remarkable how many trees still had leaves with bright color. More fitting for late October.
Certainly plays a significant role. .....and it is underestimated by some. Larry Cosgrove has mentioned it is an important consideration when developing a seasonal forecast.
Rarely because such forecasts do not generate much interest. And they do not generate website hits. It's no secret that winter weather in general is hyped to a very large degree.
"Polar Vortex to Assault Eastern 2/3 of nation".....99 percent of people think Polar Vortex is a specialty drink made with Russian vodka...
It isn't panic at all....just take a look at what the overall pattern has been producing for months...once again there isn't a single sign of a dramatic pattern change....and every year we also go through people insisting it is going to be a cold/snowy winter...
The majority of people that produce a winter forecast are biased towards cold/snow so their bias hampers them to look at things without the bias impacting their forecast(s)...many also downplay the impact of climate change.
That certainly will not be taking place in SNE. I have never seen so many trees with leaves on them. In this area the leaf drop is at least 3 weeks late.
...well it is approaching mid november and there is not a single sign of a dramatic pattern change that is going to be required. There has been very few cold fronts all fall. Near record to record warm temps.